FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrate an example of an outside handle device that is fixed to an outer panel.
The outside handle device includes a handle support member, as a base member, and an outside handle that is positioned on a vehicle exterior side of the handle support member and is rotatably supported by the handle support member.
The base member has a through-hole that is formed to penetrate through the base member in a vehicle width direction (vehicle interior-exterior direction). A bolt, a nut, and a nut-position regulating member are attached in the through-hole in an integrated state.
As illustrated in FIG. 19, a threaded portion of the metal bolt is inserted into the through-hole from a vehicle interior side of the handle support member and a shaft portion of the metal nut is inserted into the through hole from the vehicle exterior side of the handle support member such that the threaded portion and the shaft portion are screwed in the through-hole.
Further, a cylindrical resin nut-position regulating member having an axis coaxial to axes of the threaded portion of the bolt and the shaft portion of the nut is slidably inserted into the through-hole and is in press contact with an inner circumferential surface of the through-hole. Therefore, when there is no force in an axial direction that acts on the nut-position regulating member, the nut-position regulating member is positioned in the through-hole. However, when there is a force in an axial direction that acts on the nut-position regulating member, the nut-position regulating member slides through the through-hole. Further, a flange is provided to a vehicle-exterior-side end portion of the nut-position regulating member so as to be positioned between a vehicle-exterior-side surface of the handle support member and a head portion of the nut. Therefore, movement of the nut to the handle support member side is regulated at a position at which the head portion of the nut comes into contact with the flange.
Before the outside handle device is attached to the outer panel, the bolt, the nut, and the nut-position regulating member are mounted in the through-hole in an integrated state. Here, before the outside handle device is attached to the outer panel, the nut-position regulating member is positioned on the vehicle exterior side from a position illustrated in FIG. 19 with respect to the through-hole and is disposed at the position. Therefore, a gap having a certain size is formed between the flange of the nut-position regulating member and the vehicle-exterior-side surface of the handle support member.
As illustrated in the figures, a handle attaching hole is formed in the metal outer panel which configures a vehicle-exterior-side surface of a vehicle door. Further, a bolt inserting hole, which is continuous to the handle attaching hole, is formed in an inner circumferential edge of the handle attaching hole.
When the outside handle device is attached to the outer panel, the handle support member is first caused to face a vehicle-interior-side surface of the outer panel and the flange of the nut-position regulating member is positioned through the handle attaching hole on the vehicle exterior side of the outer panel. Subsequently, the entire outside handle device is caused to slide to a rear side, and thereby portions of the nut-position regulating member and the shaft portion of the nut that project from the through-hole to the vehicle exterior side are positioned in the bolt inserting hole. In this state, the bolt is caused to rotate relatively with respect to the nut in a fastening direction, and thereby, as illustrated in FIG. 19, the handle support member, the outer panel, and the flange of the nut-position regulating member are sandwiched between the head portion of the bolt and the head portion of the nut, in a state in which the vehicle-interior-side surface of the outer panel and the handle support member come into contact with each other.
Then, the handle support member is fixed to the outer panel due to an axial force (fastening force) between the bolt and the nut.
Therefore, it is possible to perform a rotational operation of the outside handle with respect to the handle support member in a stable state.
Note that, as known in the related art, the outside handle is linked through a plurality of linkage members to a locking device provided in the vehicle door. Therefore, if the locking device is operated through the rotational operation of the outside handle, locked and unlocked states of the vehicle door with respect to a vehicle body are switched by the locking device.
JP 2012-26205A is an example of the related art.
In the outside handle device, the handle support member and (the flange of) the nut-position regulating member, which are both made of a resin, are sandwiched between the head portion of the bolt and the head portion of the nut, which are both made of metal.
However, the resin handle support member and nut-position regulating member do not have high creep resistance. Therefore, when the outside handle device is fixed to the outer panel, there is a concern that creep will occur in the handle support member and the nut-position regulating member due to a temperature increase in the outside handle device and the elapse of time and then, contact portions of the handle support member and the nut-position regulating member with the bolt and the nut will be subjected to the plastic deformation.
If the handle support member and the nut-position regulating member are subjected to the plastic deformation, the axial force (fastening force) of the bolt and the nut that acts on the handle support member and the nut-position regulating member is likely to decrease.
Then, when the outside handle is caused to rotate with respect to the handle support member, there is a concern that backlash will occur between the handle support member and the outer panel.